Word Association (2024)

[Social Media]

 

Spain is putting pressure on the UK to accept a post-Brexit agreement that would allow Spanish troops to be stationed in Gibraltar, or else face the implementation of a hard border. Madrid's proposed deal would see Gibraltar join the Schengen area, enabling the free movement of people. However, Spanish authorities have insisted on having their security forces stationed at Gibraltar’s ports and airports to monitor incoming and outgoing travelers.

 

This renewed demand from Spain comes in the wake of a recent decision by the UK’s new Labour government to hand over the disputed Chagos Islands back to Mauritius after years of negotiations. This development, seen as a softening of the UK’s stance on overseas territories, has raised concerns about the future of Gibraltar. Speaking in Andalusia, the southern Spanish region bordering Gibraltar, Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares emphasized the importance of reaching an agreement to avoid significant disruption.

 

 

Albares warned that without a deal, the European Union’s new digital border system would affect thousands of people on both sides of the border. He explained that non-EU citizens, such as Britons living in Gibraltar, would be restricted to spending only 90 days in Spain every 180 days unless a new agreement is reached. Since December 2020, a temporary post-Brexit deal has allowed Gibraltar’s residents to remain part of the border-free Schengen zone, along with other EU-related benefits. As part of the arrangement, Spanish border guards have refrained from stamping the passports of Gibraltar residents, allowing them to move freely between Gibraltar and Spain without triggering their 90-day travel limit.

 

In exchange, more than 15,000 Spanish workers, who constitute more than half of Gibraltar’s working population, have been able to enter and leave the British overseas territory with relative ease. The absence of strict border controls has benefited both sides, particularly as many travelers from Gibraltar frequently visit Spanish resorts like Malaga and Marbella, popular with British tourists.

 

Negotiations for a long-term deal nearly reached a conclusion last year, but talks faltered over the issue of joint policing at Gibraltar Airport. The airport saw almost half a million passengers pass through its gates in 2023, many of whom traveled on to Spain’s holiday destinations. The inability to agree on shared policing responsibilities has remained a key stumbling block in negotiations.

 

Albares reiterated his government’s position, stating: "It’s time for the United Kingdom to say yes to a balanced and generous agreement that we have put on the table a long time ago." He emphasized that the UK must now choose between imposing restrictive measures on Gibraltar's residents or accepting the “generous and balanced” deal Spain is offering.

 

However, the proposal has met with strong opposition from Gibraltar’s government. Chief Minister Fabian Picardo firmly rejected any suggestion of Spanish police operating within Gibraltar’s borders, stating that he would not accept "Spanish boots on the ground." According to reports in *The Daily Telegraph*, Gibraltar’s government has threatened to retaliate with its own border controls if no agreement can be reached, potentially leading to significant delays for workers and travelers at the border.

 

The issue of Gibraltar has long been a point of tension between the UK and Spain. Gibraltar was ceded to Britain in 1713 under the Treaty of Utrecht, but Spain has continued to assert its territorial claim to the Rock. Despite this, Gibraltar’s residents overwhelmingly voted to remain under British sovereignty in a 2002 referendum, with a staggering 98% of the population opting to stay British.

 

Spain’s push for a post-Brexit deal has gained momentum in light of the UK’s recent decision to transfer the Chagos Islands, also known as the British Indian Ocean Territory, to Mauritius. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer defended the decision, arguing that the agreement was necessary to secure the continued operation of a UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, the largest of the islands. However, critics from the Conservative Party have condemned the move as a "dangerous capitulation," accusing the government of ceding territory to a nation allied with China and raising concerns about the future of other British overseas territories, including Gibraltar.

 

In the House of Commons, Prime Minister Starmer addressed fears about the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, another disputed territory between the UK and Argentina. Recalling his personal connection to the 1982 Falklands War, Starmer reassured MPs that the Falklands "are British and will remain British." He also reiterated his government’s commitment to the continued sovereignty of Gibraltar.

 

As negotiations continue, the future of Gibraltar remains uncertain, with both sides holding firm to their positions. The threat of a hard border and restricted movement looms large, but so too does the possibility of a historic agreement that could finally resolve one of the longest-running territorial disputes in Europe.

 

Based on a report from Daily Mail 2024-10-11

 

 

 

[Snackbar]

Weak woke weird Queer Kier, the UK is done

[jippytum]

Starmer is such a Wimp he is likely to handover Gibraltar to the Spanish and the Falklands to the 'Argies. 

After only 100 days in office he must be the most inept and unpopular PM in British history. 

[JonnyF]

They've seen Starmer's weakness and are striking while the iron is hot.

 

Expect Starmer to cave, claiming "it was the right thing to do".

 

Pathetic. 

[newbee2022]

Without the tourists and a hard border Gibraltar would be a devastated rock with monkeys. (2 and 4 legs).

So good reasons to give it to Spain. ( same as NI to IRL)👍